Holiday fun

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We kicked off the day going to Regional Hospital - the hospital where Ryan and I work. We take care long term ventilator patients - people who can't get off the breathing machine. Regional specializes in getting them off but as you could expect this is the end of the line for these people, so if they can't get off here they are ventilator dependent for the rest of their lives. Some of these patients are neurologically totally with it but can't talk due to the breathing machine and have been there for months. Ryan and I have been taking turns caring for these certain 4 patients. All of them are completely with it. One of the ladies have been there since July and had failed for a second time getting her trach removed. She was crushed and has been struggling. So I thought we could bring our boys in and make their day. Having a couple work as nurses at the same place is somewhat of a rarity, so to get to meet the whole family was really fun for them. We had to gown up in every room as by the time you have been in the hospital this long most people have resistant bacteria - if they didn't come in with it. The boys were great. Soren is so sweet to sick people. Xander of course was asking a million questions. "Why can't they talk?" "What is that bag?" "Why is it yellow?" ect. By the time we left he would meet some of the staff and ask. "Mom, why do they talk like us?" - like he forgot that most people can actually talk. We then went to a 3$ movie theater for the first time with our whole family and saw toy story 3. Xander had never been to a theater and he did awesome. Lastly we hit Ryan's parents house for the traditional part of Thanksgiving. Earlier in the week of course we got to play in the snow. We went to a local park and went sledding. Even though the grass is showing the sledding went great. They boys would trudge up the hill and sled down it all by themselves! It was awesome. I would wait for them at the bottom because there is a fence right at the end and I would slow them before they would ram the fence. A good time for all was had.


Our first snowman. It was so cold that our snow was very powdery - odd for here. It took a while to get the snow to compact.
Lastly I finished putting up our Christmas lights. I am so excited. Every year I dream of Christmas lights bu felt a bit intimidated by them. I think it was because I did know how to secure them. All I could think of was nails and I never wanted to put holes in my trim. Well, today I learned of plastic clips, deposited a lot of money and became empowered. Lights are an investment! Gesh - that was half the pain, but now that the check writing is over and I super happy. I have a 5 year plan in adding more lights every year and then by the times Soren is 10 we will have a masterpiece! Until then I thought it was a good beginning.

72 hour car kit Power

Yesterday I worked at Regional Hospital located on Military road in South Seattle (near the airport). As you locals know, it snowed the night before a little and snowed all day yesterday. The seattle area is a mess whenever it snows. Between the lack of snow plows, hills, and lack of knowledge and good judgement of the people when it comes to driving in the snow, our region quickly become immobilized with stranded cars and accidents. My shift goes from 7am to 7:30 pm. My replacement didn't make it until 9pm. She came from Issiquah a 35 min commute on a normal day. Yesterday it was a 3 hour commute. I didn't work the next day and I was in the mood for an adventure and so decided to check out the road scene. The hospital parking lot is down the hill from the road and it took me 3 tries to get out of the parking lot. Challenge one concurred. I got on the freeway with ease. This freeway was closed a couple house earlier as it was a parking lot, but now at 10pm, we moved with ease past many, many stranded cars and a few minor accidents. Driving actually went real smooth until I reached the large hill just before my house (I was by Ikea). Cars were standing still. we inched along a car length every 10 minutes which I think was from people turning around more then actually making progress. I knew from getting out the the parking lot that even if I had the patience to wait, there was no way my car was getting up the hill. So I gave Ryan a call to have him google the distance from Ikea to my house. He said it was 1.5 miles.

"Ohhh, that is not bad. I am totally walking." I informed him.

I had a cell phone, there were people everywhere, there were warm houses, and even a hospital before I hit my house so I assessed it was pretty much a low risk activity. However, I wasn't really dressed for the event and although I thought I could probably make it in the clothes I was wearing (medium weight jacket, super thin cotton scrubs) I knew it wouldn't be fun so I sought out to rectify it. I parked my car and popped my trunk to see what I had to work with. I spotted my full leather hiking boots I left in my trunk since building our house. I smiled. "Sweet, my procrastination has paid off!" Then I cracked open my 72 hour kit, excited to actually get to use it. There were no clothes in the back of my car so I knew I would have to get creative. The helpful items that I had were 2 ponchos, 2 space blankets, 6 clothe winco bags, and a shake powered flashlight. So, I put on the boots, stuffed my pants and jacket with the clothe winco bags, wrapped each leg with a space blanket, tucking them into my sox and pants to keep them in place and topped it off with a poncho. I put the second poncho in my purse just in case I met someone who could use it. Things that I was sad I couldn't justify the use of - my crank radio, a simple plastic tent, the food bars (they are like 1,000 calories each in these little food bars. Although I hadn't eaten since lunch, the 3 days worth of bars are all sealed together and they don't expire until 2012, so I thought since this "emergency" was so weeny, I would save it for another one. One can only hope.) So in my new fashion statement, I set off. It was awesome. Wearing a poncho brought back all these childhood memories. Everyone was staring at me as I walked on my way. The space blankets were AWESOME! It was incredibly windy (they had high wind warnings of 50 mile winds with temperatures adjusted in the teens) and on one leg my space blanket kept blowing out of my sock. So I could feel the difference between legs, but the winco bags also did a lot and overall I was totally warm. I came accross several others on foot too. One lady was headed to the hospital. She was a labor and delivery nurse from Redmond. She was wearing comparable clothes as me - medium weight jacket and scrubs. She had been on the road for the last 5 hours. Yikes! She was blocks away from her destination by this time though. I told her what I was up to and what I was wearing. With every layer I described she would reply, "oh, you poor thing." I kept telling her, "no I am totally warm. It is awesome." But she couldn't help but reply, "oh you poor thing. When we were about to part she said, "Do you have any gloves? You could have mine." They were simple strenchy knit gloves. I relplied, "How nice of you, but I have pockets in the this cave of warmth with my poncho. I am tally warm" I was trying to instill confidence in her of my state, but she couldn't help herself and she said, "Oh you poor thing." It was a good thing we were parting.

As I headed up "snake hill" an incredibly steep and windy side hill and was shocked to see cars still trying to go up and down it. Wow, people are more stupid then I originally thought. I saw a couple staring at their car that is in a ditch and practically on it's side.

"Is that your car?" I asked

"Yup" they confirmed

"Do you need any help?" I inquired, fully ready to bring home anyone who didn't know where to go.

"Oh no we live just up the hill. We are trying to decide if we can dig it out." Wow, they are glass half full type of people as there was no way they were getting that thing out without another vehicle.

Then the girl sizes me up and ask, " Do you need help?"

"Help? No way I am totally warm. Space blankets are awesome. I live just up the hill too."

Hmmmm, I guess my outfit didn't instill confidence in others. I was thinking I was totally cool using anything and everything to be sucessful........and I was.......sucessful.

No one wanted my poncho. Their loss. I got home at 11pm and checked on my chickens before I went inside.

So without futher ado, I present to you a warm Quinae

And here is layer 2.

It was pretty much awesome. I had a great time. I was a bit disappointed It wasn't more challenging. I was in suburbia, it was totally light out with the street lights and snow reflecting - I didn't even use my flashlight. There were lots of people everywhere. So many ways for help if I needed it. It was only 1.5 miles. To keep myself entertained as I walked I did try to figure out how I would hunker down for the night in the elements if such a situation arise. I decided it would be hard and miserable. I thought of Bear from Man vs. Wild. One day though, I will have a better story.

Halloween backlog

I am a couple weeks behind on my blogging. Everything I have been writing has beed delayed but for the most part you can't tell except when holidays date me. Anyway, October was our busiest one since having kids. Last year was the first time the boys went trick or treating and this year we went "trunk or treating" (at our church) and hit 3 different parties during the month to kick of the celebration. Sadly Ryan missed every single one due to work. Honestly I as glad when it was all over. Too much solo celebration for me. I can't wait for him to be apart of something. When it is just me and the boys I do a pretty poor job with taking pictures. This is the best I have of our costumes.

Some good old halloween fun. They had lots of fun trying to eat the donuts.

Born that way

Minutes before the boys got in my room jumped all in my nicely folded laundry. I just said, “guys that makes me super sad. Why would you do that.” No one responded or seemed to notice me talking and I just left it at that. A few minutes later Soren starts to cry and I have no idea why.

Q: “Soren, why are you crying?”

Soren: “Because Jesus is mad at me.”

Q a little stunned at such a response: “Why is Jesus mad at you?”

Soren: “Because I jumped in your clothes.” (still crying)

Q: “Oh, buddy. (enter big hug) Hmmmm, well, how could you make it better.”

Xander who I remind you is also a culprit in the crime excitedly spits out with his hand raised, “Ooooh, Ooooh, you could say sorry!!”

Q (trying to hold in the laughter, because seriously, having one child bawling and the other child unfazed and even energized by the same problem is a bit funny): “Yes, you could say sorry and then ask if I will forgive you.” I love it when they ask for forgiveness. It melts my heart.

Soren still crying: “sorry for ruining your clothes. Will you forgive me?”

Q: “Sure. Will you help clean up these toys?" (laundry had already been refolded.)

Xander then pipes in all chipper, “Mom, you need to say sorry to me and ask if I will forgive you!”

Q: “Oh? For what”

Xander: “For making a mess with my toys!”

Q: “Excuse me?”

Xander then bursts into laughter. I laughed too, which was a mistake because for the next day he kept requesting I apologies and ask for forgiveness to him for a variety of crazy things. Nice. If a lesson can backfire, Xander will find a way.

Wow - My kids are really different.

For sale

Xander has been throwing tantrums all morning. It started when Soren put on the exact pair of white underwear he wanted to wear. Mind you we have a whole drawer full of them - but those where the ones he "needed".

I made pancakes with strawberry toppings this morning. First I cut the pancake wrong so now he can't eat it. Then after a few minutes of whining he proclaims in a most hideous complaining voice, "You forgot syrup. I want it now!" (remember the delicious handpicked, homemade strawberry topping that he loves that is already on the pancake?). I then proceeded to have a very familiar conversation on how to get what he wanted and how to ask for it. He has perfected snotty, demanding, entitled statements that I have ethical issues cooperating with. It lasted for a few minutes when he accidentally said "please" among all the demanding. Trying to encourage any positive behavior I quickly changed from my "it would be wise for you to behave" voice, to "helpful nice mom who is ready to listen" voice and said, "oh you said please. I love it when you say please. What can I do for you?" Realizing his own semi-polite mistake (he was whining when he said it), he decided it was better to abort all together then actually do something I wanted him to do. He quickly responded with resolution "noffing."

Did anyone read/memorize "where the sidewalk ends" like I did? If so you will understand this poem I dedicate to my youngest son. Originally it is "sister", but for my needs I have changed it.

For Sale

One son for sale.

One son for sale.

One crying, spying young son for sale.

I am really not kidding.

So who'll start the bidding?

Do I hear a dollar?

A nickle?

A penny?

Oh isn't there. isn't there, isn't there someone who will buy this young son for sale?

This crying spying young son for sale.

Artichoke Tradition

The other day at the grocerie store artichokes were on sale for $.70!!! Wow! How could I not buy them. Now, I am under the impression there are a lot of people in the world who don't really eat artichokes, but in the family I grew up in, you ate them for your special birthday dinner - that's how much we loved them. We steam them up and dip them in a thickened lemon butter sauce. This was the 3rd time I gave them to my kids and like they say, 3rd times a charm. After the first 2 exposures being less then successful, this last time the boys devoured them with glutney and smiles. Eating an artichoke is more then just filling your body with nutrition, it is an experience. It takes time and knowledge to eat it properly and the whole thing is an event - from the long time it takes to cook them, to the process of eating them, to the major production of cleaning up the carnage. Why does my heart swell in joy seeing my kids enjoy such a treat? It was for more then just the prolonged silence as they slowly got to the heart of the artichoke. That day I passed on a Thompson family legacy - to love artichokes and believe you are special to get to eat one. Welcome boys, to a Thompson tradition.

pumpkin patch

We went up with some friends to a family friendly pumpkin patch farm that had various farm fall activities. It is about 40 min drive through gorgeous country. I truly have a farm girl deep inside me - or perhaps just below the surface that explodes through when I can't contain it any longer and forces me to buy farm animals. But right now it is just below the surface. I feel energized, excited, peaceful, and I feel all the goodness in the world when I am surrounded by green beauty and living things. I find well kept farms beautiful and have surge of wanting to buy one and run it when I pass them on a sunny day. I have a need to take care of things and for me the more living things I am surrounded by the better..........poor low stress seeking, relaxation searching, chronically over stimulated Ryan. I do try to contain myself best I can. And so you can guess how delightful it was to go to a farm that looked like this. The picture doesn't do it justice.

This place was really great. The boys got to rope a cow,

Play in a huge corn kernal pit,

and go for a tractor train ride. I love this picture. Soren was so exited and happy about the little ride and Xander was multi tasking.

This tractor just dove these kids in a large circle for 3 - 5 minutes and they loved it. I think we do a disservice to our kids taking them to disney land too young. Because once the go to disney land this sort of thing won't be exciting at all. We should capitalize on the simple until they personally decide it ins't very interesting anymore, and then introduce them to the next step. That way life will be more exciting for longer. As an adult who has done some really thrilling things, I can't quite figure out how this can get Soren to jump up and down with excitement, but it did and does and I love it for it.
We also went on a tractor pulled hey ride as a whole family. I told the boys to act like they love each other. My kids are queued up to know when I say that to give the biggest, hardest hugs you can dish out. Way to go Soren. So cooperative.